Chandigarh, March 21 Opposition parties on Saturday announced that they would jointly protest outside Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's residence in Chandigarh, demanding the arrest of former minister Laljit Singh Bhullar for the suicide of an official of the state warehousing corporation in Amritsar.
Earlier, several political leaders, including Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, had criticized the AAP government over the official's death and demanded a CBI investigation into the circumstances that led to it.
Bhullar tendered his resignation from the state Cabinet on Saturday after the chief minister demanded that he step down amid allegations of abetting suicide.
Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, the district manager of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation in Amritsar, ended his life by consuming poison on Friday.
In a purported video that surfaced on social media on Saturday, Randhawa, who was also holding the additional charge of Patti, was heard accusing the transport minister of harassment.
Mann has directed the chief secretary to conduct an impartial probe into the matter.
Late Saturday, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia said that all parties – the SAD, Congress, and BJP – will protest outside Mann's residence on Sunday.
Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, Akali leader Majithia, and Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa made this decision in Amritsar.
Leaders of these parties have been staging a protest at the Ranjit Avenue police station in Amritsar, demanding Bhullar's arrest.
Addressing a rally in Punjab's Lehragaga, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of corruption, which has forced even government officials to take extreme measures.
Meanwhile, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia called Bhullar's resignation an "eyewash" and demanded his immediate arrest and a CBI probe. He said the government is "merely staging a drama," and Bhullar could be cleared within days.
"If the government is serious about justice, it should register a murder case under Section 302 and take the minister into custody immediately," the SAD leader said.
Majithia claimed that handing over the investigation to Chief Secretary K A P Sinha was part of a "cover-up operation." He alleged that the chief secretary and state police were "mere puppets" of Mann and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, and would act as directed.
AAP, which claims to be "staunchly honest," has instead emerged as "staunchly dishonest," he said, alleging a gap between the party's claims and actions.
Majithia described Randhawa as an honest and capable official who held a BSc, MSc, and PhD in Agriculture and had also completed an MBA; he was given additional responsibilities, including that of the Tarn Taran district, due to his competence.
The SAD leader alleged that continuous pressure was exerted on Randhawa to allot warehouse tenders in the name of Bhullar's father, and "such circumstances were created that he was forced to take this extreme step."
Punjab BJP chief Jakhar said Chief Minister Mann no longer has any moral basis to remain in power.
Speaking to mediapersons here, Jakhar said the BJP will fight at every level to ensure justice for the deceased officer's family.
"Earlier, people in Punjab were committing suicide due to their inability to pay extortion money under the rule of gangsters. Now, even government officers are being forced to take their lives as they couldn't meet alleged demands from ministers," Jakhar said, stating that the death was akin to a broad daylight murder of an officer.
He said Bhullar should be booked and arrested immediately.
Congress leaders, including Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa and MPs Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Gurjeet Aujla, met with Randhawa's bereaved family members in Amritsar.
Bajwa said the circumstances surrounding the death are extremely disturbing and raised serious questions.
He emphasized that the family deserves justice, and accountability must be ensured at all costs.
The LoP said serious allegations have surfaced against Bhullar, including claims of assault, coercion, and sustained harassment.
"In such a grave situation, my first demand as the leader of the opposition is that an FIR should be registered immediately for abetment of suicide. Laljit Singh Bhullar must be arrested without delay, and the case should be handed over to the CBI for a fair and impartial investigation," he said.
Bajwa said the onus is on the Punjab government and police to demonstrate that the Rule of Law prevails in the state and it applies equally to all.
Any delay or inaction will only deepen public mistrust and raise doubts about the government's intent, he said.